End-gate fastener.



No. 792,624. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

W. D. SPENCER.

END GATE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1904.

amoewto'z W EV/MW @Xmmm I Wore Q Q4 K attommu Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OE IcE.

IVILLIAM D. SPENCER, OF FRUITA, COLORADO.

END-GATE FASTENER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.792,624, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed July 21, 1904:. Serial No. 217,506.

To (All 10. 12071] it TIM/,7 concern.-

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM D. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fruita, in the county of Mesa and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and usefulImprovements in End-Grate Fasteners; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in end-gatefasteners for wagons; and the object of the invention is to produce asimple and efficient device for securely fastening the sides of awagon-box tightly against the ends of an end-gate; and it consists inthe provision of two eyes, one secured to each side of the box, whileone of the eyes is engaged by a hooked end of a rod, the other end ofwhich rod is provided with an angle-lever with hooked end for engagementwith the other eye, and by means of a tension leverage the rod will holdthe sides of the box frictionally against the ends of the end-gate.

The invention consists, further, in the novel construction, combination,and adaptation of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described andthen specifically defined in the appended claim.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with theletters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application,and in which drawings similar letters of reference marked thereonindicate like parts, in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the endof a wagon-box, showing my improved end-gate fastener applied thereto.Fig. 2 is an en larged detail view of the fastening device.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the endgate of a wagon-box, and B B the sides, and E Edesignate eyes, which may be fastened to the sides of the box in anysuitable manner, as by inserting the shank portions of the eyes throughthe usual apertures in the sides to receive the ordinary straight rodswhen the fastening apparatus is applied to boxes already having the oldstyle of rod-fastener.

F designates a rod having an eye F at one end for engagement with one ofsaid eyes E.

G designates a lever having an eye at its upper end in a plane at rightangles to the length of the rod F, and the lower end of said. lever hasan enlarged end which is wider than it is thick and has two aperturesformed therein, one (designated in the drawings by letter F being formedat one side of the longitudinal center of the lever and in said enlargedlever end, and a rod K, having a right-angled end, is pivotallyconnected to the other of said apertures, which is formed on theopposite side of the longitudinal center of the lever from the apertureengaged by the rod F and is spaced apart from the aperture F The end ofthe rod K is bent to form a hook K and is designed to engage an eye Eopposite the one engaged by the rod F.

In adjusting my device the hook is inserted in the eye E, and the lever,which is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the hookK is inserted in the eye E is thrown down into the position illustratedin solid lines in Fig. 1, in which movement a toggle-joint effect isproduced, securely drawing the sides of the wagon-box together, and whenthe face of the eye at the free end of the lever G is down tosubstantially a horizontal position it will be observed that there willbe a slight buckling, incident to the pull of the rod F being below thepivotal point of the rod K. By this means it will be observed that thedevice will be automatically held in locked relation.

By the provision of an end-gate fastening device as shown and describedit will be seen that a simple and efiicient means is provided which maybe quickly and easily applied to and removed from any wagon-box, thusaffording a much more practical means for holding the end-gate than theforms commonly in use.

While I have shown a certain form of fastening device, it will beunderstood that I may vary the details of the device, if desired,without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

An end-gate fastener, comprising in combination with a wagon-box havingcleats at the rear end thereof which are apertured, eyebolts passingthrough said cleats, a rod having an eye at one end engaging one of saideyebolts, a lever having an eye formed at its free end, the opposite endof said lever having a widened portion with two apertures, onepositioned upon each side of the longitudinal center of said lever andspaced apart, a hook at the end of the rod F having pivotal relationwith the aperture which is adjacent to the handled end of the lever, asecond rod pivotally connected to the other of said apertures C. andhaving a hook at its end adapted to engage one of said eyebolts, thebroad face of said eye at the end of said lever adapted to rest upon thehook at the end of the rod K when the lever is thrown to a horizontalposition, thereby causing the two rods engaging the eyebolts to pull inopposite directions above and below the longitudinal center of saidlever, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM D. SPENCER.

WVitnesses:

F. C. MERRIELL, WV. A. MERRIEL

